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architecture students: do you need a NEW online community?

Daniel da Rocha

Do you feel there is a lack of places online to

  • ask questions
  • show/discuss your work
  • talk to other students
  • have direct contact to architecture professionals
  • read/write articles about architecture and the profession
  • get advice
  • share knowledge
  • collaborate with other people
  • etc.

Or is Archinect just fine?


 
Jun 18, 18 11:37 pm
Non Sequitur
  • ask questions
    • Such as what?  Plenty of questions are asked here... but where is the incentive for regulars to answer if the posters are just going to fuck-off afterwards and not contribute anything themselves.  This ain't charity.
  • show/discuss your work
    • Perhaps, but at the cost of loosing anonymity (arguable... until you get the crazies in here) and owner/client privacy
  • talk to other students
    • Students have studio and their professors to talk to... and have access to bars in which to do so.  If you can't blast out solutions in groups in studio while talking to real people, you won't get very far.
  • have direct contact to architecture professionals
    • Sure, but why stop there?  Don't you have those in your office already?  What about friends and colleagues from other offices? What's so unique about direct contact with total strangers who likely practice under different laws in different countries?
  • read/write articles about architecture and the profession
    • Plenty of those around on the interwebs
  • get advice
    • Too many cheap assholes looking to cut corners. Pay me if you want advice on your project or be prepared to be humiliated.  Specific detail questions from a seasoned forum member will however generate good discussion.  See the first point 
  • share knowledge
    • See previous point 
  • collaborate with other people
    • On what, competitions or real paying client projects?
  • etc
    • etc
Jun 19, 18 7:55 am  · 
 · 
eastcoast

You seriously need incentives to respond to forum posts on a website that you willingly joined and willingly visit EVERY single day?

Jun 19, 18 1:58 pm  · 
 · 
Non Sequitur

^from lazy students, yes.

Jun 19, 18 2:09 pm  · 
 · 
eastcoast

It literally says architecture students in the title. You didn't have to come here to answer but you chose to. LOL Would like a cookie now?

Jun 19, 18 2:41 pm  · 
 · 
Non Sequitur

The OP asked the questions less formally in another thread first. Figured best to answer here as it refers to access to professionals.

Jun 19, 18 3:21 pm  · 
 · 

I smell spam.

Also should be posted in "academia". Most real architects ignore that category.

Jun 19, 18 8:57 am  · 
 · 

"I smell spam" > how so?

Jun 20, 18 12:54 am  · 
 · 

Why should architecture students sequester their online presence from the rest of the profession? 

What would you gain from being in a bubble or echo chamber where you communicate with people who are mostly the same as you?

Jun 19, 18 10:12 am  · 
 · 

This comes from the impression that students are more open and less tainted by the industry... there is a whole sense of excitement and camaraderie which kind of disappears when you get deeper into the profession. I say that after years hiring and working with interns on my team. They always inject the studio with energy and excitement about doing architecture. So I think that any change in the field would never come from old "real architects" like ourselves, but should come from the new generations...

Jun 20, 18 12:59 am  · 
 · 

and it is not isolation. no one ever said "students ONLY" here.

Jun 20, 18 1:00 am  · 
 · 
Sperticus

Sometimes I do wish that there was a global community of competitive students that push each other and set a high standard for others to follow. But then design and architecture is not a game, there are so many ways to judge a design and to reach a consensus about how it should be done. Not to mention regional differences/agenda.

But I think it's worth a try to build a forum with subcategories on specific topics. The problem is how to build a community with a passionate culture where users have similar goals/mindset.

Jun 19, 18 10:50 am  · 
 · 
eastcoast

While I like the ideas of most of your points in the question, I think for me personally the more important topics would be a place to get direction and advice from professionals and educators alike that are willingly there to do so. Some sort of online anonymous mentorship to each other. I think the young/student architects also have something to give to the seasoned 'pros' as well. Like college confidential when applying to schools a while ago. It really helps to hear personalized accounts of advice. With that said, I don't think I would ever share my architecture work anonymously online whether school work or not. It just feels off to me but maybe not to others. 

Jun 19, 18 2:07 pm  · 
 · 

yeah totally. but away with anonymity. we should be proud of what we put out there and put our name on it . I would see it much more as a place for people who are willing to give more than what they take. Once this happens, the old bigots who think everyone is lazy and that I don't need anyone else other than me would just go away.

Jun 20, 18 1:04 am  · 
 · 
eastcoast

Yeah I could see that. Yeah I think a little bit of both would be a nice thing honestly anything that is architecture specific that gets me off of this place and away from the same 10 people that live on here would be a nice upgrade.

Jun 20, 18 10:26 am  · 
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JLC-1

they have 4chan

Jun 19, 18 3:46 pm  · 
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randomised

"Build it and they will come"


...or not.

Jun 19, 18 4:02 pm  · 
 · 

wish it were that easy....

Jun 20, 18 1:04 am  · 
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randomised

It worked for Noah

Jun 20, 18 6:17 am  · 
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BulgarBlogger

There are some things that are simply innate... you either have them or you don't. 

Jun 19, 18 11:31 pm  · 
 · 

meaning what exactly?

Jun 20, 18 1:04 am  · 
 · 
BulgarBlogger

Like a sense for business, talent, graphic eye, structural intuition, ability to imagine things in 3D, talent for selecting materials, etc. Sure- you can go to school to learn new things or to learn how to go through the motions or practice, but no one can teach you to be a good architect. That - you have to do on your own and no matter how much you talk, who you talk to, there are somethings that simply cannot be explained; they have to come from within. When they say you have to have a bit of fire in your belly to run a business - its true. Can someone teach you or tell you how to be a risk taker, how to go after leads, how to negotiate fees? Sure- you can read about how others have done it, but until you are in that situation you'll never implement your lessons in the way you read about them or discuss them with others.

Jun 20, 18 9:29 am  · 
 · 

If students weren't so absorbed by virtual reality they would experience community in school. 

Jun 20, 18 12:28 am  · 
 · 

cmon, as if one thing excludes the other. why not have both?

Jun 20, 18 1:05 am  · 
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eastcoast

^Miles Jaffe Considering the amount of time you spend on here, maybe you should take your own advice...

Jun 20, 18 4:08 pm  · 
 · 
randomised

I don't feel the need for yet another online community, but I am no architecture student anymore...maybe there is an insatiable need for more and more online communities, you have to congregate somewhere after you've deleted all your facebook, instagram, twitter, grinder, snapchat, archinect, etc. etc. accounts

Jun 20, 18 7:03 am  · 
 · 
eastcoast

The only people i know that still have facebooks are my grandma and six grade science teacher. Had a twitter and snapchat for .6 seconds and grinder?? This is pretty standard for people i hang out with. I don't think relevant people social network as often as you might think. If any its instagram. I think it might be hard to take off as an architecture community but its a nice thought.

Jun 20, 18 10:35 am  · 
 · 
randomised

Sorry, you can keep your grinder of course. I sure hope relevant people have better things to do than waste time on social media, but yes instagram is where it's at, that's what my 12 year old niece uses and she's lit. Anyhow, it's American companies gathering all our personal information for free in order for them to better know how to sell us crap.

Jun 21, 18 3:10 am  · 
 · 

First let me check my FB, twitter, Instagram, tinder, archinect and Pinterest accounts. Then I'll get back to you. Maybe. If I have time. 

Jun 20, 18 10:26 am  · 
 · 

take your time

Jun 20, 18 9:29 pm  · 
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Wilma Buttfit

If only there was some young motivated person, a designer or architecture student somewhere doing not much, like say only working an hour a day while getting paid for 8. If only they could read this message and realize it was they who had the vision and ability to create something to meet a need they identify with. 

Jun 20, 18 10:43 am  · 
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eastcoast

If I identified with something that great then yeah I would.

Jun 20, 18 4:12 pm  · 
 · 
Wilma Buttfit

Sorry, I crossed some wires. But really, to whoever, make stuff. Make more stuff. Make lots of stuff.

Jun 20, 18 11:01 pm  · 
 · 

What would have to change on Archinect to make this student friendly space happen?  This website is not a volunteer operation it takes staff to run it, make it available and to allow some room for the community of architects and architecture students to debate and discuss relevant issues.

What do you need that can not be accommodate here, why split off resources when changes can be made to accommodate this or other needs.

Also I don't fully understand the need for a new site exclusively for students, but maybe some filters and functionality can be changed here to create a forum free from the chorus of the usual cast of trolls and cranky folks. Maybe some post can only be commented and replied to by folks with a real verified name.

Over and OUT

Peter N

Jun 20, 18 11:28 am  · 
 · 

Students need a safe place to flock like sheep, protected from the harsh realities of Archinect.

Jun 20, 18 4:14 pm  · 
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eastcoast

As the 10 regulars already know, I am a student and I don't really care to have a separate thing either. It just really kills the legitimacy of Archinect when no matter what I type or what forum I put it in, the same few people feel the need to comment unnecessary things for the sake of their own amusement. It's not helpful and its not even a conversation. It's like they don't have their own social lives so they just come on here to have it anonymously at the sake of students.

Jun 20, 18 4:23 pm  · 
 · 

Archinect's forums can be ok but we have to agree they've been the same for years now, without evolving and adapting. While their curated content is great, their "community" side is a dinosaur. Even an upgrade to more modern discussion systems (see Discourse or Discord) would make it so much better. and as eastcoast is pointing out (who seems to be the only student actually replying to this post) and as we can feel by the comments of older architects such as Miles Jaffe, there seems to be a general offputting attitude towards students.

Jun 20, 18 9:35 pm  · 
 · 

But then again, I might be generalizing too fast. Although I've known and read Architect since its foundation in 97, I have never been a heavy user of its forums. It is just a general feeling that's I am trying to put my finger on...

Jun 20, 18 9:37 pm  · 
 · 
Wilma Buttfit

What's great about archinect is that many of us have been around for 15 or more years. Try being happy.

Jun 20, 18 11:00 pm  · 
 · 
thatsthat

That

Jun 21, 18 5:14 pm  · 
 · 
thatsthat

My reply was deleted. Trying to say:

That "offputting attitude toward students" is generally towards those looking to crowd-source their homework assignments or some validation in spending $100k+ for their graduate degree.  I've also seen students post thoughtful questions here and receive meaningful, helpful responses.

I like the idea of more filters or division in categories for different threads.

Jun 21, 18 5:22 pm  · 
 · 
AlinaF

The OP must be one of these super-enthusiastic international students who campaign to be elected in the school's committee because they think it looks good on a resume. He's probably looking to start a new website which is no great achievement either. Hey OP, no one cares about this BS, Archinect is still too much for some people, so just do your homework now and grow up, ok?

Jun 21, 18 1:04 pm  · 
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randomised

That guy's been here for 10 years, newbie :)

Jun 21, 18 2:49 pm  · 
 · 
AlinaF

Still, no one cares.

Jun 21, 18 3:19 pm  · 
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Non Sequitur

Alina, people care more about this than your "sell out thread" bullshit.

Jun 21, 18 3:47 pm  · 
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AlinaF

My troll thread got 80 replies in 2 days. This is a 3 day thread that got only 45. Evidently -and sadly- people cared more about my silly thread.

Jun 21, 18 4:22 pm  · 
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Bloopox

Your "troll thread" only had about 4 visible posts for me, because I have another troll hidden and 95% of everything in the thread was apparently written by or in reply to them. That would indicate nearly no interest from anybody in anything you had to say there.

Jun 21, 18 4:52 pm  · 
 · 
AlinaF

You are bluffing. I am a very old member of Archinect (under different usernames) and I know the responses were genuine. Although I have to admit that Balkins gave my thread a generous boost.

Jun 21, 18 5:05 pm  · 
 · 

haha I shouldn't but will reply: who here is hiding behind anonymity, me or you? I guess that says a lot about who should "grow up" and "do their homework"

Jun 21, 18 8:11 pm  · 
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Bloopox

No, I'm not bluffing. Ever since I turned off he-who-shall-not-be-named it's made many threads nearly empty. Now I only follow the ones that stay going on their own merit. The "when to sell out" thread had only three or four responses to the OP - all the rest were Big Troll and those who still try to help or disparage him.

Jun 21, 18 9:35 pm  · 
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If you're put off by comments to the effect that architecture is not unicorns farting rainbows you should probably be looking at different career choices.

On the other hand, if you can understand and value different experiences and points of view you *may* have the ability to survive in this field.

Jun 21, 18 4:10 pm  · 
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thanks for the advice

Jun 21, 18 8:19 pm  · 
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